The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-07-20
THE SOUTHERN FLAGS.
After Thoughts Which Appeal Forcibly t.
An lntelligoMt Mind.

fter-Thoushts Which Appeal Forcibly {.
An Intelligent Mind.
Now that there is no danger of the
battle flags being returned, we may
perhaps carefully discuss the whole sit
uation in regard to them. We have
held from the first that 1t would be a
great mistake to return them. We
should rather have all the battle flags
of both sides turned over to the United
States Government, not to be put
away where they would decay and do
nobody any good, but to be kept and
preserved from decay, as mementoes of
past age, when the present age be-
comes past age.
In the heat of the moment good
deal has been said which those who
said it would now be glad to recall.
There is no occasion for any deadly
strife over the matter. There was no
"plot" of any kind. No Southern
State has imperiously demanded its
battle flags.
The leading Southern newspaper, the
Louisville Courier-Journal, expresses
the Southern sentiment on the matte,
in the following way:
Nobody in the South, certainly no Southern
State and no Confederate soldier. cares a
nickel whether the battle-fiags are returned or
not. If there is a single soldier in the North
who would retain them as trophies, he Is well
tn a fha oil md <1,nN
they can recall to his mind or bring to
his heart. To us they mean nothing whatever
Assuredly, they betoken no greater loss on the
side OF the North than on that Of the South,
and, to sound and healthy understanding, it
is uncomfortable how their possession can be a
matter OF moment or concern to any patriotic
bosom. AS well might We rejoice in the pres.
ervation and exhibition OF the bloody phara-
phernalia Of the hospital or the rotting cere-
ments Of the grave
All of which is very sensible. The
South has no need of the battle-flags.
We have said that they should be kept
as mementoes of a mighty struggle.
Perhaps it is better that they should ret
away in the vaults of the War Depart
ment. Perhaps the sooner they rot the
better. So far as we are concerned we
have no use for them, one way or the
other, preferring to turn our minds to
the victories that Peace has, no less
than War. p
1t has been the history of mankind
in general, and no less of modern man,
that the issues of the present have
been less poten than the issues of the
past. Humanity is always genera
ton behind its own interest. We
boast of the progress and the discov-
cries of our age. So did our fathers.
But why did their fathers, and why did
ours. leave so many things to be dis
covered? Because they were always
fooling away their time on just such
ancient out-of-date nonsense as this
battle-flag cutlery.
If half the thought and energy that
has been bestowed on victory already
securely won had been devoted to the
new conquests needing, and sadly
needing to be won, the world would
be much further advanced than it is
to-day. But it seems the fate of human
beings to be always excited about
every thing else except what concerns
them. For this reason more than any
other they grovel and toll and suffer-
The moment they learn some sense
and forget all about war and it's follies
and agonies they will begin to prosper,
and the prosperity will become gener-
al. What is the matter with Europe
to-day? Every nation there is imbued
with exactly the same instinct, and no
other, that animates the Republican
party of this country. 1t is the in.
stinct of war This war feeling leads
to big armies, and big army expenses.
The reuslt is that the industrious toiler
Is crushed to the earth.
On this side the war feeling does not
result in big armies, because it is so
plainly evident that they are not need
ed. But it disturbs our politics, and
leads to their being cast on lines en-
tirely inconsistent with the best inter-
csts of the country. Instead of think
ing about the matters of to-day we are
kept constantly in agitation about the
securely-settled matters Of generation
ago. Greater folly could not even be
dreamed of.-Des Notifies la. } Leader